Refuse to be the office caretaker (and prevent other women from doing it)
Women are often thought of as default snack providers, birthday planners, and note-takers. Is someone trying to push that invisible labor onto you? If it’s not your actual job, pass it right back with “I think we should rotate this” or “I’d love to contribute fully to the discussion—maybe we can take turns?”. You can also try advertising a man for the task: “I think Matt, with his eye for detail, will be perfect for this role!”.
Conversely, if there’s a big project or leadership opportunity, get the women in the room a seat at the table. You can always say, “This sounds like something Priya would be great for—has anyone asked her?”.
Stop hepeating in its tracks
If a female coworker drops a solid idea in a meeting, make sure her name stays attached to it. “Hepeating” (a man repeating what a woman just said and getting all the credit) is so 2009!
Say, Sarah has suggested a strategy, and someone later tries to pass it off as their own. Casually but firmly remind everyone whose idea it was: “That’s exactly what Sarah was saying earlier—love that we’re all on the same page!”.
Sabotage the “manterrupting” cycle
You know that thing where women get interrupted 3x more than men? Shut it down. When a woman gets cut off, jump in: “Hold on, I really want to hear what Marissa was saying.” And if it happens again? A lighthearted “Oops, let’s let her finish this time!” usually works. For a more experienced player, a plain “I haven’t finished talking” will do. Just with deadpan sexist jokes, this one takes a little bit of practice.
Break the “girlboss” stereotype
Nice girls don’t get the corner office—for a long time, this has been everyone’s take on workplace feminism. However, it’s worth remembering that women shouldn’t be pushed to be twice as ruthless just to be taken seriously.
So let’s stop glorifying burnout and start championing work-life balance as a flex, not a flaw. Example? If a female colleague feels guilty for logging off at 5 PM, back her up: “You finished everything, right? Then you’re good! We should all be doing that.”
